I feel bad: I haven't been writing as much as I wanted to. I am sorry, blog. I will do better, I promise. It's not for a lack of material ... Especially during my hikes, my mind wanders off to some pretty cool stuff. But pen and paper are quite unhandy to handle while climbing up a volcano.
Yep, you've read right: I climbed a volcano two weeks ago. Even three. They've been extinct for millions of years and flatted over by millennia of erosion but it was a volcano nonetheless. Officially labeled and such. I did the Volcano-Summit-Path in the German Vulkaneifel, a geologically interesting region close to home with rugged terrain stretching over one of the oldest mountain ranges on our planet.
Yep, it escalated fast. Going outdoors is like a drug. I try to maintain a rhythm of at least 3 hikes a week. Mostly around my hometown. There is a stretch of 8 km I particularly enjoy. And most of the time, I got the woods all for myself (and the dog). I put the headphones on, listen to an audio book (The Martian, Andy Weir: what a great read!!) and head down the path. It soothes me and I sleep like a baby ever since I picked up those hiking shoes. And when I'm not hiking, I scour through hiking journals, gear magazines and travel blogs, to find new inspiration.
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| My favorite local trail: Larochette - Medernach - Larochette |
Plotting gear is almost as much fun as the hiking part itself. Monday, I spent an hour (60 full minutes!) discussing day packs with a sales assistant at the outdoors shop. A full hour ... The most I ever spent time on a purchase was 30 minutes a few years back when I bought the only fancy suit I own. And now I am browsing through day packs, fitting them, dragging on zips and checking out bladder compartments. (I bought a Deuter Futura 28 btw. Deuter is good value. It's my third piece of D-gear).
Don't get me wrong: I do have a shopping issue. It's like a compulsive disorder: I enter a store and I HAVE to buy something. Anything. Like any compulsive disorder, it has to be NOW and THERE. But with hiking gear, I started being thorough and careful. For instance, I should have never bought the Jetboil Flash on a whim. Jetboil is good stuff. The Flash is as well. But if I had taken my time, I would have read that Jetboil issued a new PCS (personal cooking system) with the ability to simmer. The Flash is (as the name suggests) extremely fast. It boils water in a matter of minutes. But you cannot cook with the Flash. The new Mini Mo has a regulator though. And I will have to purchase this one for the long trip (AT). For now though, the Flash is good enough.
It will suit me fine on the West Highland Way. More on that later. Same goes for a tent. I own a regular two person tent, 50 bucks, weighing 50 lbs (at least, that's what it feels like). It's enough for now. In the Vulkaneifel, I could drive up to the camping ground and pitch the tent right there out of the car. So no worries about the weight. But I will need to get me a light, one person tent for the big one. I've been scouring through gear blogs and my new bible, backpacker magazine. And I'm pretty sure, I'll go with the classic, MSR Hubba NX. They issued a reboot of that classic and it seems to be pretty swell at a decent price. 300 to 350 bucks for 2 lbs 7 oz. Or a Big Agnes, like the Copper Spur. But I'll hold off for a while longer. First, I won't need the tent for another few months. I'm proud of myself for being so reasonable once. Secondly, Big Agnes is issuing a new series of Mountainglow Tents in 2016, with integrated LED lights and ventilation system, compatible with a solar panel ... Ok, I start to sound like a nerd. And I guess I am. See what I mean? Gear shopping is almost as exciting as the hiking part itself.
I'm hooked. That's what I wanted to say. It feels like I've finally waken up from a deep slumber and I found something I really like. And it's such a basic thing. Millions of outdoor enthousiasts do it around the world. I know that I always had an urge in the back of my head. When I was standing at the south rim of Grand Canyon two years ago, I wanted nothing more than to strap on a backpack and head down the trail. Same goes for Yosemite. But there was something holding me back. We even discussed using a tent in the National Parks, before booking that trip. But I held back. Why? No idea. I guess, back then, backpacking and trekking was something other people do. But you can take me up on this: I will head back to Grand Canyon. Soon. And I will make it to Havasu Falls.
But there are so many terrific places on earth. And I've been compiling a list of "projects" for the next months. First, I will head up to Scotland. In October. It's all booked for already. My first bigger hike. Yay. The trail of choice? The West Highland Way. And as time runs out, here is a scrap for the next 12 to 16 months:
1. WHW in October 2015
2. section hike the AT in March/April 2016
3. Backpacking in the Lofoten (Norway islands) in Summer 2016
4. GR 20 (Corse) or US National Parks in late 2016 / beginning of 2017).
Talk to you later.
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